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In a match that served as a ‘welcome to Earth’ moment for Novak Djokovic fans, the Serbian world No.1 has crashed out in the third round of Wimbledon, in four dramatic sets.
His giant-slayer is world No.41 Sam Querrey, whose solid serve-and-volley game combined with the notoriously fast grass courts was enough to confuse and frustrate the Serb.
Querrey blazed to a 7-6, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 victory, and finished the match with a leap and fist-pump, accompanied by the raucous screams of a stunned crowd.
This loss snaps Djokovic’s record 30 consecutive wins in grand slam matches. He’s lost his chance this year at being the first man to win the Calendar Slam (all four slams in one year) since Rod Laver in 1969.
He also lost the Golden Slam (all four slams and Olympic Gold). And he can kiss 1,910 ranking points goodbye. Given Djokovic’s deserved dominance over the last eighteen months, and the unbearably high stakes for which he was playing, it is arguably one of the biggest upsets of the decade.
However, regardless of the supreme skill of the world No.1, this defeat should come as no surprise. An extraordinary 2015 season with a run of 17 finals saw him play more tennis than anyone on the planet. Let’s face it – on some level, he must be absolutely exhausted.
As such, regardless of the titles he has amassed in 2016, the wins are harder to come by. The matches have been longer, and the score lines have been closer. Not to mention the shockingly uncharacteristic second round loss to the then world No.55 Jiri Vesely at the Monte Carlo Masters, and the comprehensive 6-3 6-3 dismissal he suffered at the hands of Andy Murray in the final of the Rome Masters.
Of course, if ever Djokovic drops a best-of-three sets match, it’s logical to hypothesise if it had been best of five, the Serb would have emerged victorious. His physical skill and superior mental power are lethal when a match has to go all the way. This seemed to be the case against Sam Querrey.
True to form, Djokovic smashed through the third set after dropping the first two; a win in five seemed all systems go.
But it was Querrey, with his solid game and calm, tenacious on court demeanour, who triumphed. Unlike the Serbian, who huffed and puffed and raised his index finger to the crowd with a roar to remind them he was still, in fact, world No.1, there was no, fuss, no drama, and nothing demonstrative.
Querrey kept it simple, trusted his game, and above all, enjoyed himself.
So why wasn’t Djokovic able to fight back, as he did against Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon in 2015 from two sets to love down? Yes, Sam Querrey played an excellent match, but it wasn’t a freakishly brilliant, inspired performance.
Despite the fact Djokovic looked far from his glittering best, and hinted he was not feeling one hundred per cent, he has won many a match playing tennis that is, by his lofty standards, sub-par, especially during the first week of a grand slam, where he is known to very cleverly save his energy.
It would be unfair not to take into account that winning the French Open and Wimbledon one after the other is no easy feat. Certainly, it’s been a big few weeks for Djokovic.
The emotional and physical roller-coaster, the short length of time between tournaments, and the quick change of surfaces would take its toll on any player.
It’s remarkable to think Roger Federer has clinched the French Open-Wimbledon double-whammy. Rafael Nadal has managed to do it twice.
Whichever way you look at it, this loss is very telling. It was not a best-of-three sets match. There is no disclaimer of, “If it had gone to five, who knows?” This was grass, a surface Djokovic has historically played extremely well on. And while Sam Querrey is a solid player with a wonderful serve, Djokovic is uncannily skilled at dismantling the big servers, and arguably the best returner of all time.
The buzz around the tennis world is that Djokovic will bounce back, as usual, and vivisect all who dare to oppose him. Given his talent, work ethic, and ferocity, this is the most likely outcome. But what if he doesn’t?
Novak Djokovic may be the best player in the world, but he does not have superpowers. His body and mind have withstood a lightning storm over the last few years. There is only so much a person can take.
I would be very surprised if Djokovic comes back and doesn’t win Olympic Gold, or the US Open, or both. But despite his imperious skill, we cannot rule out the chance that this loss is the first of many dominoes to fall.
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